Creating new opportunities for women in the regional labour market is crucial for sustainable economic development in the Western Balkans. This is more important than ever given the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the long road ahead to social and economic recovery.

As part of its Balkan Journey, Friends of Europe’s new Working Group on women’s economic empowerment aims to explore the economic opportunities for women in the Western Balkans and identify the challenges to fostering women’s development in all aspects of economic life, as well as recommendations for overcoming them. The Working Group is carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Made up of a set of four intimate debate rounds, this Working Group is debating key questions such as:

• How does women’s economic empowerment link with development?
• What are the best avenues, tools and mechanisms to bring this link forward?
• How can we ensure that women are seen as protagonists of their own empowerment?
• How do we strengthen women to have the resources to be economically successful?
• Do we need to rethink the current model of economic empowerment?

The four debate rounds involve around 30-40 experts, including national and local government representatives from the Western Balkans, European and international institutions, civil society, and the private sector. The issues at stake are discussed through interactive, moderated discussions, with an emphasis on identifying recommendations and ways forward.

Meeting 1 – Outcomes

Meeting 2 – Outcomes